Properties investigation of fiber reinforced cement-based composites incorporating cenosphere fillers

Abstract The objective of this research study is the in-depth evaluation of the characteristics of fiber reinforced cement-based composites containing fly ash cenospheres (FACs) as lightweight filler material. The resulting composites showed excellent mechanical properties with higher specific strength as 34.69–24.11 kPa/kgm −3 . The 28 – day compressive, flexural and tensile strengths were determined in the range of 55.92–30.38 MPa, 9.29–5.38 MPa, and 3.51–1.66 MPa, respectively. The higher pozzolanic activity of FACs contributed towards the better mechanical properties even at lower density. Microstructural analyses of the composites were carried out by SEM, nitrogen adsorption, and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) while TGA was used for phase identification and phase transformation studies, respectively. The results indicated that FAC is a promising material for producing strong and lightweight structural members for use in building construction which can promote sustainable development. However, excessive FACs content in the composite may lead to higher porosity due to hollow spherical shape and chemical composition of FAC particles which affects the mechanical behavior and durability of cement-based composite.

[1]  D. Dollimore,et al.  Estimation of calcium hydroxide in OPC, OPC/PFA and OPC/PFA/polymer modified systems , 1986 .

[2]  Meirong Wang,et al.  Microstructural and mechanical characterization of fly ash cenosphere/metakaolin-based geopolymeric composites , 2011 .

[3]  S. Diamond,et al.  The influence of fly ash cenospheres on the details of cracking in flyash-bearing cement pastes , 1984 .

[4]  Haiyan Du,et al.  Effect of fly ash cenospheres on the microstructure and properties of silica-based composites , 2012 .

[5]  Zhiliang Zhang,et al.  Effect of silica fume, steel fiber and ITZ on the strength and fracture behavior of mortar , 2009 .

[6]  Zeyu Lu,et al.  Effects of Different Lightweight Functional Fillers for Use in Cementitious Composites , 2017, International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials.

[7]  N. Gupta,et al.  Compressive characteristics of A356/fly ash cenosphere composites synthesized by pressure infiltration technique , 2006 .

[8]  Hongyan Ma,et al.  Mercury intrusion porosimetry in concrete technology: tips in measurement, pore structure parameter acquisition and application , 2014, Journal of Porous Materials.

[9]  Wei Sun,et al.  Nano-mechanical behavior of a green ultra-high performance concrete , 2014 .

[10]  Zongjin Li,et al.  Realistic pore structure of Portland cement paste: experimental study and numerical simulation , 2013 .

[11]  A. Bose,et al.  Processing and characterization of a lightweight concrete using cenospheres , 2002 .

[12]  E. W. Washburn.  Note on a Method of Determining the Distribution of Pore Sizes in a Porous Material. , 1921, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[13]  Zeyu Lu,et al.  Green lightweight cementitious composite incorporating aerogels and fly ash cenospheres – Mechanical and thermal insulating properties , 2016 .

[14]  Bhabani K. Satapathy,et al.  Structural, thermal, mechanical and dynamic mechanical properties of cenosphere filled polypropylene composites , 2011 .

[15]  Zongjin Li,et al.  Interactions between Organic and Inorganic Phases in PA- and PU/PA-Modified-Cement-Based Materials , 2011 .

[16]  E. Teller,et al.  ADSORPTION OF GASES IN MULTIMOLECULAR LAYERS , 1938 .

[17]  V. Parmon,et al.  The Properties of Cenospheres and the Mechanism of Their Formation During High-Temperature Coal Combustion at Thermal Power Plans , 2010 .

[18]  Paulo J.M. Monteiro,et al.  Development of ultra-lightweight cement composites with low thermal conductivity and high specific strength for energy efficient buildings , 2015 .

[19]  E. Barrett,et al.  (CONTRIBUTION FROM THE MULTIPLE FELLOWSHIP OF BAUGH AND SONS COMPANY, MELLOX INSTITUTE) The Determination of Pore Volume and Area Distributions in Porous Substances. I. Computations from Nitrogen Isotherms , 1951 .

[20]  J. Ayala,et al.  Characteristics and properties of lightweight concrete manufactured with cenospheres , 2000 .

[21]  H. Midgley.  The determination of calcium hydroxide in set Portland cements , 1979 .

[22]  K. J. Reid,et al.  Use of thermal analysis in the hydration studies of a type 1 portland cement produced from mineral tailings , 1985 .

[23]  Min-hong Zhang,et al.  Flexural performance of fiber-reinforced ultra lightweight cement composites with low fiber content , 2013 .

[24]  Min-hong Zhang,et al.  Stability of cenospheres in lightweight cement composites in terms of alkali–silica reaction , 2012 .

[25]  H. Wu,et al.  Material characteristics of high performance lightweight concrete reinforced with PVA , 2008 .

[26]  Min-hong Zhang,et al.  Experimental study on creep and shrinkage of high-performance ultra lightweight cement composite of 60MPa , 2014 .

[27]  Qian Zhang,et al.  Mechanical and thermal properties of green lightweight engineered cementitious composites , 2013 .

[28]  Akh Kwan,et al.  Adding fly ash microsphere to improve packing density, flowability and strength of cement paste , 2013 .

[29]  X. Yu,et al.  Multiscale chemico-thermo-hydro-mechanical modeling of early-stage hydration and shrinkage of cement compounds , 2013 .

[30]  R. Siddique,et al.  Utilization of silica fume in concrete: Review of durability properties , 2011 .

[31]  Arun Shukla,et al.  Effect of particle size and surface treatment on constitutive properties of polyester-cenosphere composites , 2002 .

[32]  A. Rashad,et al.  Effect of Silica Fume and Slag on Compressive Strength and Abrasion Resistance of HVFA Concrete , 2014, International Journal of Concrete Structures and Materials.

[33]  Zongjin Li,et al.  Influence of cenospheres on properties of magnesium oxychloride cement-based composites , 2016 .

[34]  M. Schure,et al.  Surface area and porosity of coal fly ash , 1985 .

[35]  S. Das,et al.  Cenosphere filled aluminum syntactic foam made through stir-casting technique , 2009 .

[36]  W. Pichór.  PROPERTIES OF FIBER REINFORCED CEMENT COMPOSITES WITH CENOSPHERES FROM COAL ASH , 2010 .

[37]  Hongyan Ma.  Multi-scale modeling of the microstructure and transport properties of contemporary concrete , 2013 .

[38]  Zongjin Li.  Advanced Concrete Technology , 2011 .

[39]  Min-hong Zhang,et al.  Method to determine mixture proportions of workable ultra lightweight cement composites to achieve target unit weights , 2014 .

[40]  K. Aligizaki.  Pore Structure of Cement-Based Materials: Testing, Interpretation and Requirements , 2005 .